Tag: English Channel

A Home Office spokesman said 45 people were brought to Dover passed to immigration officials. They gave their nationalities as Cote D’Ivorian, Guinean, Kuwaiti, Iranian, Iraqi, Etritrean, Albanian, Sudanese and South Sudanese. Minister for immigration compliance Chris Philp said: “French authorities stopped more than 1,000 migrants from crossing the Channel across the months of April… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 19

Migrants have tried to cross the Channel to the UK amid thick fog over the Kent coast. Border Force teams were seen earlier with a group of people thought to have attempted the crossing, and officials were spotted towing a rowing boat filled with oars into harbour at Dover. The small blue and white vessel… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 18

Mr Smith, an ex-Border Force chief said: ‘This was declared a critical incident by the Home Secretary last year. ‘In my experience critical incidents are declared in order to put out the fire if you like with a task force and that when the fire’s put out we return to business as normal. ‘It’s too… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 17

Mr Smith, an ex-Border Force chief was asked by Ruth Edwards MP about footage that has been widely shared on social media this week. The Rushcliffe MP said: ‘It appears to show a French naval vessel accompanying a migrant dinghy with migrants in it from French waters into British waters, which I think surprised a… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 16

It comes as Border Force patrols picked up another boat carrying 13 migrants today, taking the total who have reached British shores to 601 so far this month, with 57 migrants arriving on five boats yesterday and 64 on Wednesday. The small boat was picked up off the Kent coast at around 2.14am, with the… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 15

Tony Smith, an ex-Border Force chief has today said migrants crossing the English Channel are a ‘major threat’ to UK borders as another boat is picked up today, taking the total number to a record-breaking 601 so far this month. Tony Smith CBE, a former head of the Border Force, told the Commons home affairs… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 14

Bridget Chapman, a spokeswoman for the Kent Refugee Action Network, a group that works with unaccompanied child refugees and asylum seekers in the part of England where most migrant boats arrive, said the Home Office’s emphasis on turning back arrivals was “extremely irresponsible.” “If they were serious about stopping this trade, they virtually could stop… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 13

Tony Eastaugh, the director for crime and enforcement at the Home Office, said the government has deployed three vessels in the English Channel, funded patrols on French beaches, and invested in detection equipment. “Compared to where we were even a few months ago, the cooperation we are seeing with French authorities is paying dividends,” Mr.… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 11

With regards the Invasion of Migrants crossing the English Channel, the Home Office said in a statement that it was committed to making the crossings an “infrequent phenomenon” and would continue to work with French authorities on enforcement. The French authority responsible for patrolling the Channel has reported near-daily ‘rescues’ of migrant boats crossing from… Continue reading Migrants from France Part 10